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131
the Record. 40 The northern part of the city
exploded with violent outbreaks at multiple
intersections and landmarks during the day.
The exact timeline of events remains
unclear.
Standoff at Sprunt’s Cotton Compress
One of the areas where panic and
fear ignited tensions was the Sprunt Cotton
Compress on Front Street between Walnut
and Red Cross Streets. James Sprunt,
among the city’s wealthiest white men and a
member of the chamber of commerce,
employed hundreds of black workers who
worked as stevedores loading cotton onto
ships, as laborers at the large compress, and
as equipment operators to process the
cotton. The men working at the compress
were unaware of the activity on the other
side of town until the fire bell rang.
Workers’ wives fled to the compress to tell
their husbands about the Record burning and
that whites were burning their homes and
firing weapons throughout the city. 41 In
short order, several hundred workers
gathered in a state of confusion outside the
compress, and work stopped in the compress
as laborers left their posts. The unarmed
workers were “ in a state of bewilderment,
wondering what had happened, and what
might eventuate.” 42 The workers told
Sprunt that they were “ hard working … and
that the whites ought not to stir them up and
terrorize them.” 43 In attempts to protect his
workers, Sprunt tried to get them to stay on
his property and away from town in hopes
40 The white men who have been identified as the
first to exchange gunfire with blacks in the Brooklyn
neighborhood were also residents of the area.
41 Rountree, Memoirs, 14, Henry G. Connor Papers;
“ Story of the Wilmington Riot, A Pure Bred Negro
Relates It,” Charlotte Daily Observer, May 24, 1905.
42 James Cowan, “ The Wilmington Race Riot.”
43 McDuffie, “ Politics in Wilmington,” 709.
that they would not be involved in
violence. 44
Sprunt was joined by Junius Davis,
George Rountree, and Roger Moore in his
attempts to calm the workers and prevent
them from going to their homes. At the
same time, however, after hearing a rumor
of the gathering of workers at Sprunt’s
business, a large number of whites entered
the area with guns on their shoulders, ready
to keep the “ mob” of frightened blacks
under control. Some of the whites
approached Moore and told him that “ if he
did not give the order to shoot into the
negroes on the opposite corner,” the mob
would do so anyway. Moore responded that
he had been placed in “ command” by his
fellow citizens, and until he was removed
from command, he would not allow
bloodshed and would have the instigators
arrested. The men complied and took their
place in the ranks. 45
Captain Donald MacRae, recently
returned to Wilmington from the Spanish-
American War, recalled that while he
watched a crowd going in the direction of
the compress, someone told him to go home
and get his gun. MacRae returned to the
street loaded with a “ riot gun and about
seventy five pounds of riot cartridges and
two pistols and a bowie knife or two” and
headed for a crowd gathered near Sprunt’s
compress. While in the crowd watching
Sprunt attempt to calm his employees,
MacRae was recognized as a soldier and
was asked to lead the crowd, who wanted to
“ kill the whole gang of negroes.” 46 MacRae
was asked to be their leader because he had
just been through the war and knew “ about
what should be done.” MacRae recalled that
he “ had very little stomach for it and as very
44 “ Story of the Wilmington Riot,” Charlotte Daily
Observer, May 24, 1905.
45 James Cowan, “ The Wilmington Race Riot”
46 “ Minutes of the Association of the WLI,” North
Carolina Collection.

131
the Record. 40 The northern part of the city
exploded with violent outbreaks at multiple
intersections and landmarks during the day.
The exact timeline of events remains
unclear.
Standoff at Sprunt’s Cotton Compress
One of the areas where panic and
fear ignited tensions was the Sprunt Cotton
Compress on Front Street between Walnut
and Red Cross Streets. James Sprunt,
among the city’s wealthiest white men and a
member of the chamber of commerce,
employed hundreds of black workers who
worked as stevedores loading cotton onto
ships, as laborers at the large compress, and
as equipment operators to process the
cotton. The men working at the compress
were unaware of the activity on the other
side of town until the fire bell rang.
Workers’ wives fled to the compress to tell
their husbands about the Record burning and
that whites were burning their homes and
firing weapons throughout the city. 41 In
short order, several hundred workers
gathered in a state of confusion outside the
compress, and work stopped in the compress
as laborers left their posts. The unarmed
workers were “ in a state of bewilderment,
wondering what had happened, and what
might eventuate.” 42 The workers told
Sprunt that they were “ hard working … and
that the whites ought not to stir them up and
terrorize them.” 43 In attempts to protect his
workers, Sprunt tried to get them to stay on
his property and away from town in hopes
40 The white men who have been identified as the
first to exchange gunfire with blacks in the Brooklyn
neighborhood were also residents of the area.
41 Rountree, Memoirs, 14, Henry G. Connor Papers;
“ Story of the Wilmington Riot, A Pure Bred Negro
Relates It,” Charlotte Daily Observer, May 24, 1905.
42 James Cowan, “ The Wilmington Race Riot.”
43 McDuffie, “ Politics in Wilmington,” 709.
that they would not be involved in
violence. 44
Sprunt was joined by Junius Davis,
George Rountree, and Roger Moore in his
attempts to calm the workers and prevent
them from going to their homes. At the
same time, however, after hearing a rumor
of the gathering of workers at Sprunt’s
business, a large number of whites entered
the area with guns on their shoulders, ready
to keep the “ mob” of frightened blacks
under control. Some of the whites
approached Moore and told him that “ if he
did not give the order to shoot into the
negroes on the opposite corner,” the mob
would do so anyway. Moore responded that
he had been placed in “ command” by his
fellow citizens, and until he was removed
from command, he would not allow
bloodshed and would have the instigators
arrested. The men complied and took their
place in the ranks. 45
Captain Donald MacRae, recently
returned to Wilmington from the Spanish-
American War, recalled that while he
watched a crowd going in the direction of
the compress, someone told him to go home
and get his gun. MacRae returned to the
street loaded with a “ riot gun and about
seventy five pounds of riot cartridges and
two pistols and a bowie knife or two” and
headed for a crowd gathered near Sprunt’s
compress. While in the crowd watching
Sprunt attempt to calm his employees,
MacRae was recognized as a soldier and
was asked to lead the crowd, who wanted to
“ kill the whole gang of negroes.” 46 MacRae
was asked to be their leader because he had
just been through the war and knew “ about
what should be done.” MacRae recalled that
he “ had very little stomach for it and as very
44 “ Story of the Wilmington Riot,” Charlotte Daily
Observer, May 24, 1905.
45 James Cowan, “ The Wilmington Race Riot”
46 “ Minutes of the Association of the WLI,” North
Carolina Collection.